Any fighter winning a UFC belt is significant, but for Overeem, capturing heavyweight gold from Stipe Miocic would be the perfect bow on an already illustrious MMA career.

“We’re here for one goal and one goal only,” Overeem said at today’s UFC 203 open workouts.” We’re going to cement my legacy. We are going to get that championship belt. It will be history, and the after-party for some people will not be as nice.”

The chance to fight for the UFC belt has been a long time coming for “The Reem.” He was originally meant to have the opportunity at UFC 146 in May 2012, but a failed drug test derailed his chance. He could have gotten right back in the mix following his suspension, but he ran into an up-and-down period in his career in which he suffered a few key losses that forced him to rebuild.

Overeem is right back where he needs to be now, though. He enters UFC 203 on a four-fight winning streak, including three victories by knockout. One of the wins in that stretch was a knockout of former UFC champ Junior Dos Santos, the most recent fighter to beat Miocic.

MMA math infrequently works, however, and Overeem knows he must produce one of his finest performances in order to beat the current titleholder.

“I expect him to come with a full arsenal,” Overeem said. “He has his striking, he has his wrestling base and, yeah, (he’s) a very dominant fighter and has got power. But everyone has power. So I have to be ready for his strikes, for his counterstrikes, I have to be ready for his wrestling. My game plan is great, so I’m very confident.”

The UFC championship is essentially the one missing piece from Overeem’s resume. He won the Strikeforce championship, DREAM championship and even crossed over into kickboxing and won a K-1 title. None of those belts hold the same prestige as the UFC, though, and Overeem said he can feel inside what an important moment this is for his career.

“It definitely does feel special,” Overeem said. “There’s definitely that extra tingling of nerves. Sometimes you don’t have nerves, sometimes you have a little bit of nerves. This is a little bit of nerves. But this is going to be my 87th fight. We’ve been there, we’ve done that. I use that tension. I’m using those nerves to my advantage. We’ll come out on top on Saturday.”

Overeem started his MMA journey in October 1999 and has had a roller coaster of experiences during that time. At 36, some might say his chance has come too late and he won’t be able to overcome a champion like Miocic, who is essentially the prototype for the modern MMA fighter. Overeem begs to differ, though, and said he’s going to force the title to change hands in emphatic fashion.

“I am the most hungry fighter of the heavyweight division,” Overeem said. “I predicted a second- or third-round knockout. It depends on him a little bit, too, because it takes two to tango. Judging his nature, it’s not going to take that long – but you never know. There’s an X-factor involved. He can go away, he can evade, he can become a different Stipe all of a sudden. But otherwise, I don’t see it lasting two or three rounds.”